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So what do you call it?

I know that not everything needs a label. And that there are some things that defy classification. But when it comes to being able to intelligently represent ideas to others, especially the uninitiated, it is helpful, if not necessary, to be able to describe something in terms of its classification. Geocaching is one of those ideas.

So, when you are talking about geocaching with folks, either trying to explain it to those who don't know anything about, or otherwise, what do you refer to geocaching as? Do you call it a sport? A pastime? A game? A hobby? An outdoor activity? What?

And does what you call it when talking to others differ at all from how you really think of it? I know most of us could probably consider it to be an obsession, but that aside, what to you think geocaching is?

Boy that's a tuffy. I struggle with that very same question.I consider it a high tech outdoor activity that gets my adrenaline going at times and and with a lot of the hikes my heart pumping at times too. It's kind of hard to generalize it in my opinion. It encompasses all of the things that you mention. I sometimes refer it as a sport and others a treasure hunt of sorts. You got me on that one but I suppose everyone has something else to add to those descriptions as well. The one thing that I do know is that this (activity) has brought me closer to nature and to places that I never would have found were it not for geo-caching.

We use different terms depending on how clueless the "muggle" sems to be. We also carry printouts of the Geocaching.com FAQ's to give to people that seem interested. We've had people ask us many things, "Are you lost?", "Are you OK?", etc. To us it's just FUN!

While talking with egsg one time, he referred to geocaching as "hiking with a purpose." But with the use of computers, the internet, gpsrs, maps, a compass, travel bugs, etc. it is so much more. When people ask me about it I give them the short version, egsg's, and if they ask more, well, they are in for the long version.

I don't know if we coined the phrase "hiking with a purpose" or if we had heard it somewhere but it perfectly describes our attachment to geocaching. We were hikers long before geocaching. As we're apt to go on long hikes and wanderings, a friend suggested we get a GPS, in case we got lost. From there we learned of geocaching. So when we explain geocaching to people we always start with hiking, and the thrill of seeing new places, that we never would have known about otherwise. When we describe it, we downplay the trading and emphasize the hiking and discovery, because that is what attracted us. People often initally assume that this is a "treasure hunt", that there are valuable treasures hidden out there. Well maybe to the kids it is, but we think the biggest attraction is the incentive to get out of the house and get hiking.

The way we explain geocaching to others it to tell them it is like the old fashion treasure hunts you did as a kid but you use a GPS to find it now. We also explain to them that it is not all about finding the caches either. We tell them that geocaching has taken us to places that we would have never known existed in the state of Maine. We have seen some great sights and learn some history also.